PREECE MAKES
LATE PUSH AT WATERFORDGrabs Lead During
Green-White-Checkered Finish

Same
track, same race, same scenario, but this time Ryan
Preece got the result he wanted as he powered to
victory in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Mr.
Rooter 161 Saturday night at Waterford Speedbowl.

A year ago in this event, it was Doug Coby who held
off Preece on a green-white-checkered finish for the
win. This time around, Preece was able to reverse
the roles and celebrate in Waterford Victory Lane.

It was the second win in a span of eight days for
the Whelen Modified Tour points leader, who won on
June 14 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway. The Mr.
Rooter 161 triumph was the seventh of his tour
career and first at Waterford’s .375-mile oval.

Reigning tour champion Coby settled for second with
Donny Lia in third followed by Justin Bonsignore and
Bobby Santos. Todd Szegedy, Eric Goodale, Rowan
Pennink, Ron Silk and Bryon Chew rounded out the top
10.

After getting by the polesitter Szegedy on Lap 102,
Coby looked untouchable, and destined to repeat as
the Mr. Rooter 161 winner. Navigating deftly through
lap traffic, Coby had nearly a straightaway lead as
the race wound down, but two late cautions set the
stage for yet another green-white-checker scenario.

Meanwhile Preece, from Berlin, Conn., ran near the
front of the pack all evening, but was never quite
able to find his way around race leaders Szegedy or
Coby. That changed late, however, as a spin out by
polesitter Szegedy on the 159th of 161 scheduled
laps brought out a caution and set up the
green-white-checkered finish.

On the restart Coby – who chose the outside lane on
all of his restarts as the leader – slid just a bit
and Preece got his best start, even beating Coby to
the line by inches. The pair drag raced for the two
ensuing laps that included some contact, but Preece
was first to the finish line on the 166th and final
circuit.

“All the restarts before Doug [Coby] was just
killing me, I couldn’t get the drive up off,” said
Preece, driver of the No. 16 East West
Marine/Diversified Metals Ford. “But this one we
just timed it right. It was unreal.

“I felt like I did everything I had to do to try and
at least stay with him, because if I didn’t at least
stay with him, he obviously would have probably won
that race. If I had just sat there and finished
second my team would have been disappointed in me
and I would have been disappointed in myself, so
just did everything I could.”

Coby was frustrated with the race finish, but took
solace in the runner-up result being his best of the
season.

“I should have beat him,” Coby said. “The 52 team
had a stout car here tonight, the thing was on
rails. I’m really happy for my guys, it’s our first
top-five finish of the season, hopefully keep on a
roll here and get some wins later on.”

It marked the second time in his Whelen Modified
Tour career that Preece has won back-to-back races.
He first accomplished the feat in 2009, winning at
Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway and Stafford. The victory
was also the 10th consecutive top-10 finish for the
21-year-old driver who is part of the NASCAR Next
program.

With the victory Preece extended his season points
lead to 17 over Pennink. The second-place finish for
Coby moved him from sixth to third in points, 21
behind.

The Waterford stop was the fourth event on the
14-race tour schedule. Up next is the Hoosier Tire
200 at Riverhead on June 29.